The Devil's Tear
by DevilMayCry28
Summary: "The Devil's Tear" is about Jade, an 18-year-old girl who meets Dante, aged 20. The story is told from Jade's P.O.V. Nice and helpful comments please, no hate. I hope you enjoy! (I know I know, summary sucks...If you have any suggestions on what to have it as, please PM me about it)
1. Mission 01

**Mission 01: Misunderstood Intentions**

"One Sundae Swirl, please" I requested as I sat down at the bar. My brown shoulder length hair falling down around my face as I slumped down onto the counter, my cheek on its cool marble surface. The waitress serving me just nodded and went through the light blue coloured double doors and into the kitchen to get my Sundae. I soon found myself daydreaming about a knight in shining armor, sweeping me off my feet and taking me away to his castle. A happy ending where there's no annoying job and definitely no jerks.

"One Sundae Swirl," the waitress said, sitting the Sundae down in front of me, "I'll be back in a moment for the payment, I've just got to get this customer's order first," she spoke softly next, "wish me luck, he's a regular _and_ a total hottie" she then winked and went off to serve him at the table behind where I was sitting.

I sat up and started to eat my Sundae, caring very little about the waitress wanting to flirt with some guy she thought to be hot. The amount of chocolate and strawberries mixed into the vanilla ice cream was spot on. As I was drinking up the last of my Sundae that had melted, someone had sat down next to me, their voice deep and charming, "you certainly have good taste in Sundaes. Though, I've never thought of trying one with topping in it…" they went quiet, possibly thinking or waiting for me to continue the conversation.

Instead, after sitting down the empty glass and spoon, I sighed. "Look, I don't know what possessed you to use my appetite as a pick up line, but I also don't really care. Even if you used a romantic line on me I still wouldn't go home with you in a million-" I stopped as I saw the man next me stare at me in shock, and after turning around to fully face him, I saw that he was actually very handsome. He fitted the waitress' description entirely, though, who's to say it wasn't someone else? He had silver hair, and eyes as blue as ice. But something about him seemed kind and I instantly felt like I was going to fall over, if I wasn't already sitting down, or pass out. He was almost like an angel.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I wasn't going to try and get you to go home with me," he sounded almost apologetic, making me feel really horrible for assuming anything.

"Um… Excuse me, Dante," the waitress, Mara, I finally noted, interrupted, "but have you decided what you wanted yet?" Mara was standing next to us the entire time, and that realisation made me feel even more pathetic.

Dante nodded, "I'll have what this girl had, thanks." I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that not once had he looked away from me. Mara looked from Dante to me, and back again, her expression showed her jealousy as easily as you'd be able to see a purple bruise after being punched. Unimpressed, she walked out to the kitchen again.

Not wanting to feel her eyes pierce me again, I placed a dollar on the counter, "can I ask you to give this to the waitress, and to tell her that I'll pay her the rest in a few days?" I asked, and, without waiting for an answer, I got up and left the shop, turning right and heading for the park a few blocks away.

I sat down on the swing and wondered how I was ever going to show my face at my father's café again. Even though I knew it couldn't be helped because of all the men who always tried to come onto me, I still felt embarrassed down to my core. And then the waitress was getting all in the air because a guy she thought was good looking was talking to me more than her. _That man…What was his name again? Daniel? No... D… Dan… Oh,_ "Dante!" I shouted, happy to have remembered at last.

A deep voice sounding very familiar came from behind me, "you called?" it sounded almost playful. Jumping to my feet and whirling around, tensed and ready to punch someone in the face, I saw that Dante was standing a few steps away, an amused smile upon his lips, "well, aren't you jumpy?" he teased, earning a frown from me.

"Well you would be too if some guy you only just met for a moment was following you," I snapped, none too pleased by the unexpected appearance, "why _are_ you following me?" my demand, or maybe my irritated tone, made him sigh and sit down on the swing that was next to mine.

After a minute or two of silence, a grin grew on his face and held his hand out to me, "introductions first, babe. I'm Dante" he casually winked at me, continuing to hold his hand out, waiting for me to respond.

Slowly, and mostly unsure of what to think of him, I placed my hand in his and shook, "I'm Jade" being polite, but then my voice grew a slight sharpness to it a moment later, "and don't ever call me 'babe' again, got it?". My reaction caused him to smirk; only god knows what was going through his mind, though oddly enough, I found that I felt comfortable despite it, like he was a 'big soft pillow there for you to hug instead of being on glass sharp rocks'.

He lifted his hands in defeat, "my apologies, _Jade_," though the look in his eyes said he was enjoying this, after lowering his hands once my glare had disappeared and I'd sat down on my swing again, he continued, "and I came to tell you that I paid for the rest of your Sundae" he grinned at me as he looked over at me.

At this, I couldn't help but to smile back, feeling very grateful, especially since now that I wouldn't have to face a disappointed father when I got home. "Thank you, Dante, I owe you one"

**Author's Note:**** All rights for _Devil May Cry_, it's characters, etc, go to Capcom. _This_ storyline, and Original Characters, however, belong to me. So far I have 12 Missions (chapters) planned, though I don't know if that's where I'll finish it, or if I'll continue on. Please note that each chapter I've written for this story are 2 pages long _each_ in Microsoft Word and all have over 1,000 words.  
>Please leave a review, whether you simply enjoyed it or see a slight mistake. Thanks :)<strong>


	2. Mission 02

**Mission 02: Devil May Cry**

"Thank you, Dante, I owe you one," as I said that, a smirk quickly appeared on his lips, making me slightly curious as to what was going through his head at that moment.

He got up off his swing and crouched down in front of me, "you owe me, huh? Well, how about we hang out and call it even?"

I was a little surprised when he said that. _Well no duh, Jade. He already said that he wasn't trying to get you home._ I cleared my head of any thoughts before I blurted any of it, "sure, when and where?" I couldn't help but to smile, secretly feeling incredibly excited.

After he stood up again, he looked to be wondering about it before finally deciding, "maybe at my shop, tomorrow afternoon at about two?" he grinned even more than before, and trying not to look too eager, I took a moment before nodding and smiling back, "its called 'Devil May Cry', hard to miss, but I'll give you my card anyway," he dug his hand into his pocket before pulling out a small card and handing it to me, right as his phone rang.

Apologizing, he turned away and started talking to the person on the other end, allowing me time to look the card over. It was completely black, the store logo in red, and the rest of the writing in white. It was simple, yet nicely done, making me wonder if he did it himself or if someone else did it for him.

After he stopped talking on the phone, he put it away and walked back over to me, "sorry, gorgeous, but I have to go now. I have a job to do," he held his hand out for me to shake it, "I look forward to tomorrow," he gave me another one of those smirks as I placed my hand in his.

"It's okay, I'll see you at two, then," I was happy and incredibly nervous, but returned the friendly smile as he let go of my hand. Then, as soon as he had appeared, he was gone.

-The Next Morning-

I stepped out of the shower and looked at my clean clothes on the bathroom floor. It had taken a few hours to finally decide on wearing my dark blue denim shorts, a black tank top and ankle high black socks. After putting on my underwear and my shorts, I started using the hair dryer until my hair was soft and fluffy, brushing it back down into its natural style. I picked up my top and pulled it on quickly, followed by my socks as I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where my father was trying to learn a new recipe.

"Ah! Jade, perfect timing," he shuffled over to where I was standing and pulled me across to the stove, "I need your opinion on the soup". _Vegetable soup… How very original of you, dad. _I picked up the spoon and dipped it in, bringing it to my mouth and tasting it. _Potato, pumpkin, carrots, peas…_

"Well," I sounded thoughtful, "add a little more sauce, and let some cabbage dissolve into the soup. It'll be perfect," I smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek, and adding, "I'll be back later tonight, going to go hang out with a friend today," as I was walking off, I could hear him chuckling and saying to himself about how I wont be back until tomorrow morning and a few other things that I didn't quite hear clearly enough.

Pulling on my shoes, I opened the door and went outside, walking out of the gate and trying to follow the small map I got out of my pocket. _So I take a left here, and then continue on for a few blocks, then turning right…_After following the map for at least an hour, I found myself coming to yet another dead end. "Why the hell can't I follow a simple map?" I grumbled, frowning at the piece of paper in my hands. Turning around, I walked back to the corner of the street, looked up at the sign and back down at the paper again. It was then that I saw my mistake. I was in the wrong area of town, and needed to head north-east some more. There was the sound of laughter behind me. By the sounds of it there were several males, and they didn't sound to be too far away either.

"Is this little kitten lost?" one of the voices asked, making the others laugh again. I turned around quickly to face them. I could count seven of them, almost all of them holding alcohol in their hands. Shaking my head no, I faced the street I originally came from, away from the men, and started walking down it, fast paced. "Hey, kitten, come back here," he sounded angry now, "we're trying to help you, you know?" the others cheered and whatnot in agreement.

The fact that they were still just behind me making me scared. I took an immediate right and headed up a small and narrow pathway, hoping that it would get me away to someplace safe. A hand grabbed roughly onto my shoulder, forcing me into the high chain fence that was on my left. "I told you to come back over to us, you stupid little girl!" his voiced was raised so loud I was surprised that no one heard.

"There you are, babe," a softer, deeper and more familiar voice stated calmly beside me, "I've been looking for you everywhere…" a hand pressed into my lower back and another on my shoulder. Looking at my rescuer, I saw silver hair and ice blue eyes, my heart suddenly beating rapidly, as I recognized that it was Dante. _How did he know where to find me? _My mind was racing but I kept drawing blanks, struggling to think clearly.

"And who do you think you are? Butting into our fun like this. This kitten is with _us_," the man sounded deadly, like he was just about to bite someone's head off if something else went wrong for him. I hated to think about what he might be thinking at this moment.

"I don't think you're in a position to question me. But if I ever see you lot come near my girl again, well, lets just say that the result won't be in any way pretty," Dante's voice had become even lower, almost sounding like an animal growl. He started pulling me away with him, I didn't resist in the slightest, feeling very relieved to be getting away from those drunk monsters.

-A Couple Hours Later-

As I started to wake up, I could feel sheets all around me, and the room glowing a golden colour from the sun hanging low in the sky. I sat up, taking in my surroundings; a bedside table on one side, clothes drawers on the other side underneath the window, and a closet near the open door. Those, and the double bed I was sitting on, the sheets a deep red, the blankets thrown at the end of the bed a shiny black.

Stretching, I stood up and walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway, following it to the stairs and walking down into an office/lounge room. Dante was sitting at the desk on one side of the room, leaning back with his feet propped up on the desk and his eyes closed. He looked peaceful and rather cute, a blush creeping its way into my cheeks. I wasn't sure if I should wake him or not.

Before I had the chance to make up my mind, the large heavy doors, that I guessed were the front entrance, groaned loudly as they were forced open, a thin and well shaped lady standing in the doors. "Devil May Cry isn't open, come back tomorrow," Dante spoke loudly, irritated, his eyes staying shut.

This caused the woman to laugh, flipping her blonde hair back behind her shoulder. "So, you're the new toy Dante was excited about bringing here? Ha, I expected someone more… Grown up?"

**Author's Note: Again, all of the rights etc for _Devil May Cry_ aren't mine and belong to Capcom. Storyline and Original Characters are mine.  
>Well, here's chapter 2, I finally finish editing to make it work :) and, a couple of things. First, the card: Dante could've done it himself or something, or he could've had Lady work it all out for him (though making him owe her even more money), possibilities are endless, and I'll leave it up to you to decide what to think (unless I eventually add something into the story) - you can leave ideas for it to be added, as long as it's got good taste. And second: I know Dante doesn't attack humans or anything, but please just go along with it for now, I shall make up for this later on.<br>And again, please leave me some review's, as a new author for fanfic's, I'd really love to get some :) hope you're enjoying this story**


	3. Mission 03

**Mission 03: Pizza and Patty**

_More grown up? Did she honestly just try to make fun of my breast size?_ "At least I'm not a blonde," I snapped at her, I wasn't in the mood for her type right now. I'd already had enough _fun_ for one day. She took two steps forward, a frown on her face. My reply may have been a simple one, but it hit her in just the right spot all the same.

She looked like she was about to snap at me again but Dante beat her to the mark, "Trish, stop it. Why did you come?" he was quick, and straight to the point. Part of me was grateful that he stepped in, but the other part of me was worried, the look on Trish's face told me that she wasn't done with me.

"I have a job for you," she smiled at him. Inside, I felt a pang of jealousy. I could tell that they were close, but how close, I didn't know. Dante sighed and walked over to the pool table, picking up a cue and aiming.

_A pool table? What else did I miss? _I looked around the room quickly and noticed a jukebox in the corner, an old and worn couch, a small T.V not far from it, and a small area with drums, a guitar and speakers.

"Well," he said, sliding the cue forward, hitting the white ball to the small triangle made from the rest, and managed to land zero of them in the pockets, "that's too bad, you see, I have plans for the night with that gorgeous young lady over there," he nodded over to me, making me blush, "so, find someone else, or do it yourself." He walked around the table and aimed again. I took my eyes off of him and looked over at Trish, she was making her way closer to him, closer than I liked.

"But, Dante, it'll clear up all of the debt you have with Lady," she brushed her hand on his arm, making a small fire light inside of me.

_Grr… Why am I being like this? I barely even know the guy. It must because he saved me. Yes, that's it. _I calmed down a little bit after coming to that conclusion, sitting down in the seat Dante had been in before he got up.

"It might clear it, but I already told you," he stopped and stood up straight, moving away from her slightly, "I'm not taking the job. I'm off duty tonight."

A frown came onto her face, "fine then, have fun with the kid," she turned and walked back to the front doors, not looking back. She opened them again and disappeared out the small gap. In that moment, I felt my body finally relax, my muscles hurting slightly from the tensed way I was sitting.

"So, Jade, you up for some pizza?" Dante asked, leaning over the back of the desk chair and picking up the phone. All it took was a slight nod and he immediately called the pizza place, asking them to bring around the usual, and to put it on the tab he has. While he was busy talking, I pulled my phone out of my pocket a little, checking the time, finding it was already getting near 7pm. I pulled my phone out completely, going to messages, and entering a new one to send to my dad.

**'Hey dad, still at friend's place, please don't throw out my dinner, I'll eat it tomorrow. I'll be home at'… **I stopped typing, trying to think of a suitable time.

"How's the morning sound, babe?" Dante asked, making me realise he was leaning down over me, reading the message. I blushed intensely, not quite sure of how I should react. "Because, the way I remember it, we never really got to hang out properly," he made his way over to the door to greet the young boy in the doorway. Our pizza had arrived.

After removing '**at**', I continued typing, **'I'll be home tomorrow morning... And NO LAUGHING ABOUT YOUR PREDICTION BEING RIGHT or I won't come home at all :P'** I hit send and put my phone back into my pocket, getting up and heading over to the couch to grab a slice of the pizza.

Dante walked over and joined me, handing me a bottle of water, apologizing for not having anything better at the moment. _I really wish I had the energy to tell him off about calling me 'babe' though…_ Energy. It was from that thought that I realised just how tired I really was.

Finishing off my pizza, and taking a sip of my water, I curled up on the end of the couch, closing my eyes for only a moment.

-The Next Morning-

_I fell asleep?_ I thought, sitting up. After my eyes had finished adjusting to the darkness, I could see that I was back in the same bedroom as before. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up, walking out into the hallway, trying not to make the floor creak as I walked.

I peeked into the first doorway, hoping to find a bathroom, instead coming across a closet. I closed it again and continued onwards, the next door being at the end near the stairs, opening it slightly; I looked in to find a second, but empty, bedroom. Everything in there was covered in a thin layer of dust. _Clearly not what I'm looking for… _I shut the door as quietly as possible and headed down the stairs into the main area, looking around the room for any more doors, seeing at least two.

I walked over to the one in the corner near Dante's desk, opening it, and finding a small, but still usable bathroom.

After using the bathroom and fixing up my hair properly, I decided to head back out. As I went to open the door, it swung open, a little girl standing there looking up at me. Only, I couldn't remember seeing her in any of the time I was up and about last night.

_Maybe she's Dante's little sister? _I wondered to myself. The girl looking me up and down before finally deciding to speak, "and who are you? You don't look like a burglar."

I was slightly dumbfounded, the only thing escaping my lips, "a burglar?" the girl nodded, and after a moment of thought, I managed to relax a bit, "I'm Jade, a friend of Dante. Are you his sister or something?" this made the girl laugh, shaking her head. She grabbed me by my hand, pulled me out of the bathroom doorway and across to the couch.

"I'm Patty," she said, shaking my hand before letting it drop again, "I'm a friend as well," she grinned at me, "though I'm also his house cleaner," at this, she had a small pout on her lips, "he can't even pick up after himself. His drinking and eating habits don't help in the slightest," she pointed at a couple of empty pizza boxes and cans on the floor next to her; they looked to be a week old, maybe even longer.

I laughed, "I think he's lucky to have a friend like you, then." _She's only a little girl, but she's so mature._

She smiled again, "well that's good, because I think so too," she giggled.

_Wait a minute. Dante…_

"Hey Patty, may I ask if you know where Dante is?" I asked. I must really need to wake up if it takes me this long to notice he's not here.

**Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, all rights etc go to Capcom. Story and O.C's are mine. Do I really need to keep saying this though? I'm sure by now everyone knows who it belongs to etc. Oh well.. Also, when I place in the gap fillers such as "-The Next Morning-" please note that these were originally three stars, so I apologise if I miss any. The next chapter is Demons :D and sorry, but you's are going to have to wait a bit for it  
>Reviews please!<strong>


	4. Mission 04

**Mission 04: Demons**

"He's most likely still in bed," she paused for a moment, "in fact, if you could go wake him up and tell him that I'm ordering him to come down here and help me clean, I'd really appreciate it," she smiled, getting up and heading into the bathroom with a mop and bucket in hand. _Still in bed? Was he in bed with me?_ My mind went into a slight panic mixed with embarrassment.

I got up and made my way back to the bedroom, stopping outside of the door, trying to calm myself down, hoping it wasn't the case. Gathering up the courage, I pushed the door open, my eyes fixed on the bed. It was empty. I allowed my eyes to wander around the room as I walked in. Stopping as I spotted the blankets on the floor moving slightly, like someone was breathing, but something about it was off. It seemed flatter than a body and much shorter too.

I reached out, my hand grabbing the edge of the blanket, my breath caught in my chest. But before I could pull it up, there was a strong hand that grabbed the back of my top, forcing myself and the blanket backwards and out of the door, landing underneath the blanket and on my butt.

The last thing I saw in the bedroom before the door had swung shut was Dante standing over a pitch black and dangerous looking _shadow_.

I looked down at the blanket covering my legs, feeling a cold and sticky substance on my legs. My hands were shaking; I was terrified of what I might find underneath, though something still drove me on, my hand pulling back the blanket.

I screamed, just as Patty reached me. The substance was almost black, one small word coming into my mind. _Blood…_ My stomach turned over, working flips and knots within itself.

Patty had said something, but I couldn't hear anything as two gunshots rang out through the building.

I couldn't move my arms, legs or any other part of my body. But someone had done it for me, as I was soon on my back. My hand was forced to let go of the blanket, and soon I could feel my clothes being pulled off swiftly, being left in just my underwear. As I lay there, I saw Patty leaning over me, putting something over my body before she got up and I could no longer see her.

My vision was beginning to get dark around the edges, my head spinning. I felt like I was going to be sick. _So cold… _a shaky voice had said within the walls of my mind. It was mine.

-About Five Minutes Later-

I could feel hot water on my skin along with two small hands. Opening my eyes, I saw Patty holding a face washer against my skin, washing of a dark liquid. When she noticed I was watching her, she simply smiled, "it's good to see you back with us. You had me so worried," she continued gently washing my leg, let out the water, and filled it back up again.

"What happened?" I asked, still sounding shaky.

She finished wiping the remainder of the stuff off of my skin, holding a towel out to me, "I think it'd be best if you ask Dante about the details, but put short, you passed out from the sight of blood I'm guessing. I had to wash it off," she paused, before adding with a smile, "better me than have a pervert like Dante clean you," she gave a cute wink and helped me stand up. It was good to feel my body respond to my commands again, though I still felt very empty.

After I was out of the bath, and she was sure I wasn't going to do a repeat, she handed me some clothes and turned around, letting out the water in the bath as I got dressed. I put on my underwear; they appeared to be completely clean, followed by some pants that were a little too long on me, a belt being the only thing holding them up, and then a black shirt, which was, like the pants, a bit too big. I could only guess that these were Dante's clothes, Patty being a different size, and Trish wasn't on level with me, plus she wasn't even here.

Once I was satisfied, I let Patty know and she accompanied me out of the bathroom and into the living room. She sat me down on the couch next to Dante, giving him strict instructions to keep a close eye on me, and saying she'd be back later tonight. "I'm heading out to buy Jade some more clothes, so if she's not in one piece when I get back, Dante, I'm going to stop cleaning up after you and treating you to Pizza," she sounded firm, waving and heading out the front doors. _Almost like a little sister._

"Do you want to know what happened?" he asked; his voice softer than usual.

I nodded, unsure of what to actually say, "I know I passed out from the blood…But, where did it all come from? And what about that shadow?" it all came out at once, I knew I sounded demanding, but I needed to know. It was all so very confusing.

"What you saw," he stopped, trying to think of a way to put all of it into words, "it was a Demon. The blood came from," another pause, "_previous_ victims." I couldn't believe my ears. _Does he honestly expect me to believe that Demon's exist and aren't just some tale for scaring kids? _The look on my face must have given away completely what I was thinking, as he sighed, "I'm sorry. I know you think I'm crazy, but I'm telling you the truth."

I shook my head slightly, "I think…I just want to go home, Dante," he went quiet after that, "tell Patty I'll see her next time, if there is one," I got up and headed to the door, "I'll return the clothes tomorrow," I said, opening the door and stepping outside.

-A Short While Later In The Car-

As I sat in the passenger seat on the way home, I stared out the window, watching the buildings go by. "What's wrong, Jade? You seem awfully quiet over there," my dad may be a bit odd, but he was still very observant.

I shook my head, forcing a small smile, "I'm okay, just a bit tired," I turned back to the buildings. _How am I ever supposed to tell dad what had happened, and that my new friend insisted that it was a Demon? One of those creatures in story tales._

Five minutes later and I found myself getting out of the car and heading up to the front door, following my father. He dropped my shoes onto the stand, I had refused to put them on when he came to pick me up, and took off his own. I walked passed him, turned left into the small hallway and into my room.

I sat down on my bed; the events of the last 24 hours were playing through my mind. After reaching the point where I was pulled back out of his room, I realised something I hadn't at the time. _Dante was _smiling_ as the door had shut, and the gunshots… He had said that it was blood from previous victims. Did that mean I was going to die if he hadn't pulled me back into the hallway?_ I closed my eyes, shaking my head, as if to get rid of the thoughts.

I could feel my stomach finally giving out on me as I remembered what my legs looked like. Running into the small hallway and going into the bathroom next to my room, I threw up in the closest thing possible, the sink.

**Author's Note: Okay, so I know this likely seems to be going slow, but it _will_ end up picking up pace as the story progresses. Chapter 5 is already done, but not uploaded yet, and I've nearly finished chapter 6. If you're interested in having this story completed, feel free to leave a review or message. I need to feel motivated again. Also, I won't be putting up anything on the 25th of December until late next month, so if you want more, you's will all have to hurry to leave the encouragement I need in order to get more :P Sorry guys. Though about 5 of either options will be enough. As usual, I hope you're enjoying this story.  
>And: MERRY CHRISTMAS, I hope you all have a great one :)<strong>


	5. Mission 05

**Mission 05: A Christmas Gift**

It had been a month since I last saw Dante, Patty, or any of my friends for that matter. I had stopped going to school, despite it being the last month I'd be there, and I rarely ever left my room. My meals were brought to me, though I never ate much, and I only ever left my room to go to the bathroom.

Even though I locked myself up in there, I could always hear my dad, Anna and Leon out in the lounge room talking to Dante every day. Patty and my other friends always left messages on my phone, or called, I'd occasionally reply, but even then I wouldn't say much. I knew everyone was worried about me, but I wasn't exactly the cheerful person from before.

"Jade," my father said, sitting down on my bed, "I know you don't feel like it, but it's nearly Christmas, and we're worried about how this is affecting Leon. He wants and _needs_ you there," he placed his hand on mine, "please." I looked up at him for the first time in a while, his eyes were red, and he had darkening rings under his eyes from lack of sleep.

There were tears prickling up in the corners of my eyes, my hand instinctively squeezing his. His face lit up, the first reaction he'd seen me have that wasn't caused from the nightmares I'd been having every night. I felt terrible, knowing that this was what it took to get me to start behaving again. He smiled, leaning over and hugging me.

"So, you're finally back," Anna was standing in the doorway holding Leon, she'd seen it all, and Leon couldn't have looked more happy about seeing me move.

The tears ran free at last, "I'm sorry," I was sobbing rather loudly. I knew I had to change. My family depended on it. _I_ depended on it.

-A Few Hours Later-

'**Patty, I'm feeling better now, so feel free to drop by whenever you want xxoo' **I hit send, and then continued drying my hair. Looking in the mirror, I could see that my face had thinned. My lack of food was really starting to show. My skin was an incredibly pale white, almost like a ghost. Satisfied that it was dry enough, I unplugged the hair dryer and sat it back on the shelf.

My phone beeped at me from on the counter, the message reading: **'That's good! I'm coming over right now. I also have a gift for you :)' **I smiled; it was nice to see that Patty never gave up on me. Placing the phone back down, I looked at the clothes I had decided to wear today, my black Christmas top, and Dante's pants. Just because I wasn't ready to talk to him yet, it didn't mean I didn't miss him.

After getting dressed, I walked out into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. I cut it up into pieces, sharing it with Leon, who was more than happy to accept it. I followed him into the lounge room, where he sat in front of the T.V, waiting for Anna to turn it on for him. There was a knock on the door, making me feel suddenly excited, it would be good to see Patty again, and she could help explain about the shadow from that night. I now felt ready to hear it.

I opened the door quickly, smiling, to find… "D-Dante?" I struggled to speak, my smile disappearing. He quickly looked me up and down, almost surprised to see me standing in the doorway, smiling as he saw me wearing his pants, "hey babe, good to see you out of bed at last," I didn't know what to do. I wasn't ready yet.

"Dante you idiot!" a high pitched voice shouted from behind him, "I told you she wouldn't be ready to see you yet!" he turned around, giving me a view of Patty standing there with a frown on her face, and her hands on her hips. She was mad.

Dante's hands went up as he chuckled, "all right, all right, I'm going," he turned to face me again, "and babe, nice pants," he winked at me, then turned and walked out of the gate and down the street.

-Eight Minutes Later-

Sitting at the table, Patty handed me a small silver box. I opened it to find a multi-coloured gem set in a pendant that had roses, the details going down to every tiny thorn on each small rose. I was speechless. _How did she manage to get me this?_ "It's beautiful, thank you so much," I smiled, leaning across and hugging her, she was beaming.

"I'm so glad you like it. Though really, you should thank Dante more than me. I may have chosen the pendant, but Dante picked out the gem and he even worked non-stop all month to get the money to buy it," I felt my heart begin to flutter. _He worked hard to get me this? _I wondered silently. My feelings returning back to normal a tiny bit more. She helped me put it on; it sat perfectly above my breasts over my top.

"Um… Patty, what _is_ Dante's job?" I asked, kind of quietly.

She seemed to be expecting this question, answering it quickly, "he's a hunter. He hunts those thingy's that you saw when you had stayed at his place that night," I tried my best not to shudder as the memory came back. _Demons…_ "Dante also said a while back about those men chasing after you were the same as the other one in the room," her voice was lowered, as to not draw much attention, before smiling again, "at any rate though, Dante chose that gem specifically to protect you from anything. Bad luck, demons, curses, vampires, you name it," she giggled, "though, when I pointed out that you'd like it, he instantly said it was the one he was going to buy."

I was _almost_ starting to forget the reason I was scared in the first place, the warmth and love slowly making its way inside of me again. "I have a suggestion," I smiled at the pretty little girl in pink, "you, me, and Dante, we all go out for a Christmas Sundae, on the house, of course." She seemed pleased at the idea and nodded.

Her small phone ringing in her pocket. She stopped and answered it, complaining to who it seemed be her mother on the end.

"Sorry, Jade, I've got to go now. Mum wants me to help watch over the shop," she apologized, hugging me as we got to the front door.

"It's okay, thank you for coming, and for the beautiful present," I hugged her back, my words entirely honest and sincere.

After she left, I walked through the house and into the bathroom, admiring the pretty necklace hanging perfectly in place. It had to be one of the best Christmas presents I'd ever gotten, vowing to take incredibly good care of it forever.

**Author's Note: My apologies for making this seem a little rushed, but I didn't think you all would wanna sit through a very depressing story, I never intended for it to become too sad. Again, very sorry. I struggled to make it this long anyway (about 2 pages in length). Anyway, I have almost finished chapter 6, and I have started chapter 1 of the next story :3 It's told from the view of 'you' (I decided to try it in a different light), plus its gonna have much more adventure than this one :D and you all owe it your thanks as its what is motivating me to continue this story right now. Please leave reviews and/or messages. Tips/ideas for the story would be great :)**


	6. Mission 06

**Mission 06: The Demon Hunter and Me**

I sat down at a table in my father's café. The memories from the day I met Dante were floating around in my head. I still hadn't seen him since the day Patty came to visit me. Although we hadn't really been around each other that much, I could still feel a strong bond growing between us constantly, together or apart, happy or sad. It was strange, and I couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same. A positive for it was that it was helping me feel more like myself each and every day.

Snapping me out of my thoughts, there was a small knock on the window next to me. Turning, I saw Patty standing there beaming at me with Dante behind her looking rather bored with her. I waved at her and she ran off in the direction of the door.

Dante was shaking his head as they walked in. I shifted across in my seat, allowing room for one of them to join me. Dante smirked and almost immediately went to sit down, straight away being forced forward and towards the other seat, Patty sitting down next to me gracefully, her tongue poking out at a near fuming Dante.

I couldn't help but laugh at the two of them, "it's good to see you both," I smiled at them in turn as my dad approached the table to serve us. He had insisted that he be present so I didn't have a repeat of my 'anti-social-ness'.

"It's good to see your cheeks have gotten their colour back, and," Dante looked under the table before sitting up on the seat opposite from me, "babe, where are my pants?" he smirked, chuckling a little as my cheeks went a deep red.

"D-don't call me babe," I pouted, my dad clearing his throat, "um…Three Sundae Swirls please, dad," I felt like a kid who was caught doing something bad, embarrassed mostly.

_Not even five minutes around me and he was already being his usual flirty self. _Although, I couldn't really complain, he was still the same around me despite what I put him and everyone else through. The last piece of my distant self had finally shattered, leaving my heart and thoughts as they once were before learning about demons.

My dad couldn't even get away from the table yet, Patty was talking his ear off. I smiled and placed my hand over her mouth, "okay, Patty. Do you want the Sundae to be on the house or not?" I grinned at her as she made a motion as to be zipping her lips as my father walked away, "good girl," we both laughed as if it were some great joke, my hands back on my lap.

Dante leaned forward, only his eyes showing from above the menu he was holding in front of his face, "babe, why isn't there many cold foods on this menu?"

I looked at him, doing my best to hold in the laughter that was threatening to burst out of me at any moment. _That was why he looked so serious? I thought maybe because we left him out of the conversation and he was frustrated or something. _The laughter suddenly reached peaking point and I couldn't keep it locked away any longer. Sure I got a few stares from people at the other tables, but he was like a confused little boy who didn't know why he wasn't allowed to have a toy.

After I stopped laughing and caught my breath, I looked at him, he hadn't moved an inch, "it's a small list because this store was only opened up six months ago, and because of that, the menu isn't complete either. Dad is working on the menu for hot foods in preparation for autumn and winter. And during those seasons he'll be working on the cold food for spring and summer. But, in all honesty, I thought you were looking like that because Patty and I were talking, leaving you sitting there," I was smiling again, though determined not to laugh this time.

A small giggle came from Patty's direction and Dante frowned a little, "don't you think you should know me better by now, babe?" he asked, my return answer being a simple shrug and a smile.

Dad returned then with the three Sundaes and set them down in front of us.

-An Hour Later-

The sun was setting, making the sky turn a beautiful pink and red. The marble tables and the counter glowing pink, the light blue colours of the store turning a nice shade of Lilac. Patty had already left, and my father was attending to the other customers. It had been a nice day. Even the Sundaes had little Christmas tree lollies on the top, giving them that wonderful, warm and fuzzy feeling about them.

"So," I started, gently taking my pendant out from behind my top and looking at it lovingly, "Patty told me you chose the gem, and that you worked really hard to earn the money to buy it for me," I smiled, then looked up at him to see his reaction.

His face was blank, yet somewhat serious, "I did," he paused, looking out of the window, "though, I nearly chose one that she said was 'utterly terrible and completely hideous'…" he sounded a little _embarrassed_?

I smiled at him, "at least you tried? Besides, for all we know, I may have liked the other one as well," I could see his body relax slightly, making me pleased. It may not be much, but at least there was a bit of a response from my words.

I stood up, getting an idea, "wait here," I told him, walking over to my dad and telling him that Dante and I were heading out now. He looked worried, but still told me to have a good time.

Walking back over to Dante, he stood up and met me halfway, "I know you said to stay, but I want to know what you're planning," he stated, the curiosity could only _just_ be heard in his low voice. I simply shook my head, grinning at him and taking his hand in mine, leading him to the door and away from the shop.

-After Walking A Little Ways Away From The Shop-

I was more than pleased when I saw Dante's confused face when we stopped at the park. Understanding of why I had chosen to come here was slowly beginning to show on his face. This was the same park that he had followed me to when we had first met.

I sat down on a bench across from the playground, Dante quick to follow my actions. He had closed his eyes and I couldn't resist staring at him. His silver hair was glowing a soft pink-red colour from the sky, the way he had a little smirk on his lips was to die for, his coat was lying around him comfortably, and the way he was sitting said that he was relaxed.

_You're falling for him. _A voice rang out inside my head. It was mine, but I never even thought it.

"Babe, you still there?" I snapped back to reality to find Dante leaning in close, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked, "huh? What do you mean?" I didn't quite understand.

"You zoned out big time, and all that time you were staring at me, kind of creepy," he leaned back into his spot and sighed, "just worried that you're still suffering. Let me know what's on your mind sometimes and I'll help you out with whatever it is."

I blushed, _yeah, sure, telling you that I was thinking about how good you looked and all, that's going to go well…_

I turned from him and looked at the playground. The adults were starting to pack up their picnic stuff and get the kids to the car so they could go home. It made me realise just how dark it was getting.

"Well," I managed to say at last, "I'm thinking we should leave soon and go home or out somewhere cool," my voice trailed off, _somewhere cool? Why did I even say that part?_

**Author's Note: Okay, so, I hope I did okay with this chapter, I know I've been working on it for a while, but I've been busy and I ended up with writer's block. Annoying as it was, I finally managed to complete it just before, and figured I'll upload it for everyone now instead of at some later date. Reviews and Ideas/Tips please :D I wanna hear your thoughts on where they should go (but remember its getting dark, so the options have been limited). I look forward to hearing from you :) And, ****I dont own Dante etc, but the story is mine and so are the OC's. And I hope you're enjoying this story.**


	7. Mission 07

**Mission 07: Pool Fun**

"Somewhere cool huh? I could do that," a smirk was playing on Dante's lips.

I almost immediately regretted ever saying that last part when I saw where Dante had taken me; an indoor pool. Although, I would be lying if I'd said I wasn't in the least bit excited about it.

It didn't take him very long to 'unlock' the door. Leading me inside and pulling back the cover that was over the entire water surface. _What about clothes? _The sound of my voice called out through my mind. The thought of it, not having a bathing suit and just what I was wearing, making me panic. _What if he wants to go all out?_ My cheeks flushed a deep red as these thoughts filled my mind.

"So, you ready, babe?" Dante had finished pulling the cover out of the water and had made his way back over to me. Back to where I was panicking and blushing like an idiot.

"I uh… Well, it's just that… What will we wear?" I felt like a stupid school girl who just ran into her crush, stumbling over words and no eye contact.

Dante moved in much closer than I was prepared for, leaning down so his lips were near my ear, "you could wear what you have on, but that would take longer to dry later on, so maybe…" he paused and leaned back a little, a smirk growing on his face, "it might be better to just go-" he stopped talking as I quickly interrupted, not wanting to hear what was coming next.

"I think I'll just sit on the edge, thank you," I pushed passed him and walked over the steps leading into the pool, taking off my shoes, putting my phone a safe distance away from the pool, and sitting down, almost slipping in anyway.

I could hear him sigh and small thuds hit the floor, curiosity burning through me like fire, making me turn to look. His coat and black shirt were on the floor next to his boots, his hands going to the top of his pants next, "don't even think about taking those off thanks," I called over my shoulder to him, a quiet chuckle echoing through the building.

"Will you punish me if I take them off?" he winked at me, the smirk on his lips not leaving for a moment. I could feel my cheeks growing hot again as I quickly looked away, watching the water gently move. _Why oh why do you have to flirt with only your pants on?_ I thought to myself, _if he wasn't so damn attractive it would be so much easier._

"Get your mind out of the gutter. And no, I won't be doing anything like that with you," I froze, hearing myself snap at him. _Why did I do that?_ He didn't reply and simply got in the pool. I wasn't sure if he was angry with me now or what. I don't even know what made me angry in the first place. I felt horrible, "Dante, I'm sorry. I don't know what that was," he stopped moving about and looked at me, he was grinning.

"Get in and I'll forgive you," he spoke it so casually, as if he wasn't upset to begin with. I sighed, rolling up my jeans and getting in slowly to adjust to the water temperature. "Much better, babe," he winked at me, clearly pleased to have gotten his way.

_This man will be the cause of your death someday…_ My voice whispered in my head, chilling me down to the bone. It was my voice… But it wasn't my thought.

As I stepped out of the building, a cold wind came across, making me shiver. I still hadn't dried off yet and it looked like a storm was heading our way. I pulled out my phone to check the time, it was nearly ten past eleven, and I had missed six calls from my father with two from Anna.

I called the home phone and Anna answered. I ended up getting a long lecture from dad while Anna kept telling him to relax.

"Just be careful at this hour, Jade, you don't know what kind of people are out there," Anna told me after taking the phone from dad.

_Yeah, demons and drunks…_

"Don't worry; I have Dante here with me." Anna went quiet for a moment and I was worried I'd said something to the equivalent of the world literally ending.

"Tell him if he doesn't bring you home safely, I will personally make his life a living hell," she spoke in an incredibly serious voice before whispering, "you kiddos have fun, okay?"

"U-uh, okay then…" I was stunned at that and thought that for a moment I could hear him chuckle.

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I turned to face Dante and saw he was just watching me, making me feel a bit self-conscious, "what?"

"I think she thinks we're an item…" he gave his best at pulling a pondering face.

"Maybe… Wait…" I almost froze completely on the spot, "how did you know what she said?"

For a split second, I swear he looked almost panicked, but not any longer after that he flashed me a grin, "that's a secret, babe."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm back :D woww it took forever to get this file and I just spent a few hours finishing writing this chapter. Since it was a filling chapter, it Is kind of on the short side, so I apologise, but hey, now I can move on and write More for this story *party time* I even re-read this story to try and get back into the characters p.o.v... But I hope you enjoy it. Dante without a shirt, isn't it wonderful? xD**


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